The present invention relates to a runway reservation system for predicting the time of taking off and landing of aircraft expected to arrive and depart, assigning runway use time to each of the aircraft expected to arrive and depart so as to exhibit the processing capability of the airport at its maximum, and supporting the terminal control and the aerodrome control service.
As it is well known, in the terminal control, the sequence and spacing of arriving aircraft are established by watching the radar screen or the like. On the other hand, in the tower control, control is affected so that departing aircraft may take off in between the spacing of arriving aircraft by watching the radar screen in the terminal control. As occasion demands, adjustment of taking off and landing is coordinated between the terminal control and the tower control by means of audio communication over a land line.
For improving the service efficiency of departing aircraft and arriving aircraft in total in the conventional aerodrome control, it is thus necessary to conjecture an efficient pattern of taking off and landing and conduct adjustment of taking off and landing between the terminal control and the tower control by means of audio communication in order to implement this pattern of taking off and landing.
Nowadays, however, the aircraft schedule has become more and more overcrowded, and the service of controllers has arrived at its overload. Under the existing circumstances, adjustment of taking off and landing allowing such taking off and landing as to exhibit the processing capability of the airport at its maximum is very difficult.
As for situations of overload of the service of controllers, the following cases described in (1) to (3) can be considered.
(1) The case where a runway change is conducted:
In Japan, there are many airports located in the vicinity of the sea. During one day, therefore, the runway change is conducted typically twice. For example, in the Tokyo International Airport and Nagoya Airport, the wind shifts from a sea breeze to a land breeze and from a land breeze to a sea breeze just before noon and in the evening.
If a runway change has been conducted according to such a wind shift, then a changeover must be conducted from a series of familiar control works to a thinking pattern after the runway change, and immediate adaptation is demanded. As a result, a work load occurs.
(2) The case where the approach distance is long:
The approach of the Kansai International Airport passing through the Akashi Arrival and Lilac Arrival has a narrow airspace width and a long section. Therefore, it is necessary to make a large number of aircraft fly at equal intervals, and the load of the control service becomes especially heavy.
(3) The case where the approach distance is short:
If the approach distance is short as in each north arrival of the Narita Airport or the Eddy Arrival in the Kansai International Airport, then the spatial margin for establishing the sequence and spacing of arriving aircraft is insufficient and the control needs to be conducted in a short time. Temporarily, therefore, the service load is increased.